STAN—October 2009
平成二十一年十月のスタン
こんにちは みんなさん! いってらしゃい! Greetings again from the Office of International Programs!
October is here, and those of us at Puget Sound are already facing the first indications of winter in the Northwest. Though it hasn’t been horribly rainy yet, it certainly has been cold! Hopefully the weather abroad is much more pleasant and you’re still able to enjoy sightseeing and other outdoor activities without the interference of rain!
On a more pleasant note, the arrival of October also means the arrivals of Homecoming and Family Weekend and of Halloween!
This year, Homecoming and Family Weekend have been combined into one event which promises to be more fun than ever before. From October 9 to October 11, Puget Sound alumni and the parents, grandparents, and siblings of current students will flock to our campus to enjoy events ranging from the Homecoming football game to various Pac Rim reunion events to an all campus barbecue. I know I’m hoping the weather will remain dry throughout the weekend, but even if it doesn’t, we should still enjoy ourselves!
The Halloween spirit has also been sweeping the campus. My roommates and I have decorated our dorm room, and my floor has decided to do floor trick-or-treating throughout the day on Saturday. On the broader campus level, Circle K has organized trick-or-treating for cans in the afternoon, and Praxis Imago has obtained permission to take over the SUB for a Saturday night zombie movie marathon and red carpet costume contest, complete with other party events. Lots of students, yours truly included, are also planning to head up to Freak Night in Seattle for what promises to be a great Halloween party.
On a more serious note, I feel it is about time that I mention the issue of homesickness. Immersing yourself entirely in a foreign culture is hard. This past summer, staying with a host family in Japan was truly one of the most exciting and memorable experiences of my life thus far. But there were definitely days on which I wanted nothing more than to return to my family, my bed, and my dog and to speak in English!
No matter what degree of homesickness you feel, the best thing you can do is power through it. Get out into your community and enjoy the things you can’t do here in the U.S. For those of you in Japan, that may include visiting an onsen, watching a Kabuki or Rakugo performance, dining in a “moving sushi” restaurant, or washing your money in the famous Zeniarai Benten Shrine in Kamakura in the hope that it will double. But no matter where you are, the key is to find something fun to do. If you don’t, you’ll regret it when you get back home and want nothing more than to return to Japan or Germany or wherever else you’re staying as soon as possible.
Also keep in mind that those of us at the Office of International Programs really do want to know what you’re up to, so please email us to tell us about your favorite places in whatever country you’re in and to let us know how you’re occupying your time! As I mentioned last month, you can get in contact with me at or by adding me as a friend on Facebook. I’m always open to hearing stories about your study abroad experiences and to answering any questions you may have.
General Announcements:
Need a place to live when you get back to Puget Sound? The Coffee House theme house has an opening for the spring, and you’d even get to live with two other study abroad returnees. Contact Leah Vendl at if you’re interested.
Also, if you haven’t done so already, please be sure to send a copy of your class schedule to Kathleen Campbell at ASAP! It’s very important for you to do this if you want to receive credit at Puget Sound for the classes you take while abroad.
Logger Chat:
As mentioned previously, the big event on campus this month is our Homecoming and Family Weekend. I’ve already discussed some of the highlights, but for anyone interested, the complete schedule is available online at Saturday, October 10 at 1:00 p.m. our Loggers will face off against the Menlo College Oaks, so be sure to check out to find out how the game goes and to keep track of the rest of your favorite Logger teams during their fall seasons.
Also coming up this month, we’ve got the Town Crier Speaks one-act festival, during which Puget Sound students will showcase their talents in putting on great performances. Throughout the last month and a half, the Mathematics and Science departments have teamed up to sponsor a series of math and science lectures on a variety of subjects ranging from public perceptions of vaccination and the health issues those perceptions create to a lecture by NASA astronaut, physicist, and science educator, Pinky Nelson, which will finish out the series on the 15th. Beginning during Homecoming weekend, we also have concerts from various on-campus music groups, including the University Symphony Orchestra, and at the end of the month, we have our Fall Theatre Production of Thornton Wilder’s “The Skin of Our Teeth.” And of course, coming up on October 19 and 20, those of us in Tacoma will get to enjoy Fall Break! For a complete look at the Puget Sound calendar of events, be sure to check out and as always, you can stay up to date on all of the big news on campus by visiting the ASUPS website at
Last but not least, much to the excitement of all the Hello Cupcake fans on campus, a second cupcake bakery has opened up a bit closer to home on Proctor. Sweet Things Cupcakes and Couture is just as delicious as Hello Cupcake but offers some different varieties of sweet treats, as well as a selection of edgy clothing. (Channel mental images of Ed Hardy designs!) Sweet Things is definitely lots of fun and very popular on campus right now, so be sure to check it out when you return!
Non-Logger Chat:
As I mentioned in the last edition of STAN, the Where the Wild Things Are movie opens nationwide on October 16. Both Zombieland and Whip It also premier this month, and I personally plan to see all three because they look amazing! Since I’m on the subject of cinema, next month the much-anticipated film Precious will hit theatres. With both Tyler Perry and Oprah Winfrey listed as executive producers, Precious is sure to attract large audiences, and the intense and uncomfortable plot line is expected to generate a lot of attention and controversy.
The H1N1 virus is as prominent in the news as ever, though focus has shifted from outbreaks on college campuses and elsewhere to the H1N1 vaccine. Currently, emphasis seems to be on parents who refuse to vaccinate their children because they fear the side effects that occurred in some of the early trials of the H1N1 vaccine, but doctors are still recommending vaccination to all members of high-risk groups, and medical experts still fear the possibility that a more devastating outbreak may be caused by shortages in the amount of vaccine produced.
On a more exciting note, three Americans have been awarded the 2009 Nobel Prize in physics for their work in developing fiber optic cable and the sensor at the core of all digital cameras. Charles K. Kao was awarded for his 1966 breakthrough discovery that has since allowed the development of fiber optic communication networks, while Willard S. Boyle and George E. Smith were awarded for their invention of the ‘eye’ of the digital camera.
Links:
(travel/vacation info, profiles on various countries, etc.)
(the travel advisory website updated by the State Department with current info on warnings that have been issued—very important!)
(great website to find discounts on airfare if you plan on doing some traveling while abroad)
(info pertaining to absentee voting)
おたんじょうび おめでとう! Happy Birthday to:
Alyssa Koida (Oct. 6)
Last Thoughts:
I hope everyone has a wonderful October and gets to do something in honor of Halloween! I know most of the world doesn’t celebrate the holiday, but that doesn’t mean you can’t; just don’t dress up for classes on the 30th. Remember those of us at the Office of International Programs any time you take a fun trip, and be sure to send us pictures and postcards whenever you get a chance. Also remember that you can contact meat if you need anything, and I will make sure I find someone who can answer your questions or otherwise assist you in making the most of your study abroad experience. Talk to you next month!
がんばって みんなさん! じゃね!
~ Sammy ~